Overview
Why is it important to become a successful, lifelong reader and to be a part of a community of readers?
Research abounds about how being a successful, lifelong reader improves vocabulary, enhances writing skills, increases success on tests, and prepares students for college and careers. In addition to these important reasons for being a lifelong reader, Kelly Gallagher identifies another, perhaps even more important, reason in his book Readicide. Gallagher asserts that the reason young people should become lifelong readers is because reading “provides them with ‘imaginative rehearsals’ for the real world . . . to understand the complex world they live in . . . [and] to make them wiser about the world” (66-67). As one WW-P student put it, books are meant to take readers on an “author’s journey” and experience things they could not have otherwise experienced. In addition, much research has shown that reading the stories of others helps readers become more empathetic human beings. As the world becomes more and more complex and globalized, so does the need to understand and empathize with others become that much more essential.
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Resources Consulted:
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Scientific American: Reading Literary Fiction Improves Empathy
Psychology Today: Empathy and Fiction
The Guardian: Reading literary fiction improves empathy, study finds
The Guardian: Why we read: authors and readers on the power of literature
Gallagher, Kelly, and Richard L. Allington. Readicide. Portland, Me.: Stenhouse, 2009.
Why Summer Reading?
Summer reading can be an opportune time to not only create lifelong readers, but to lay the foundation for establishing a reading culture and community in our schools. In her book, Book Love: Developing Depth, Stamina, and Passion in Adolescent Readers, Penny Kittle notes that one way to inspire students to read more at the middle and high school level is to show them that they are “participants in a community that views reading as a significant and enjoyable activity” (3). Author and teacher Donalyn Miller identifies the following behaviors of successful, lifelong readers who contribute to a culture and community of reading:
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They dedicate time to reading on a daily basis.
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They successfully self-select reading material.
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They share books and reading with other readers.
The WW-P Summer Reading Program will align to and support these behaviors of successful lifelong readers.
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Resources Consulted:
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Washington Post: Getting kids to read: The 5 key habits of lifelong readers​
Department of Education: Why Summer Reading Pays Off Year-Round
Kittle, Penny. Book Love: Developing Depth, Stamina, and Passion in Adolescent Readers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2013.
Key Shifts in the WW-P Summer Reading Program
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Learning to read any text, rather than reading to learn one specific text.
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Making decisions about what books to read, rather than being assigned books to read.
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Preparing for a life of reading, rather than preparing for a test.
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Being a part of a community of readers, rather than reading in isolation.
Goals
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Enable students to develop an independent reading life by cultivating an interest and ability to find and choose books that address their individual interests, needs, and passions in order to become curious, well-informed, mature, empathetic human beings.
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Contribute to a school wide culture of reading, which will help increase students’ reading volume and stamina, encourage “talk” around books, and allow for positive experiences with reading.
A Word About Technology and Reading
Research has shown that students read with less and less frequency and regularity as they get older. There are many factors that contribute to this decline in adolescent reading, but one of the major factors is the prevalence of technology use among teenagers. Therefore, we are recommending students either put their phones away during reading time, use their phones to set a timer for reading time, or use their phones to play soft music that helps them focus during reading.
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Resources Consulted:
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